Petit PalaisPetit Palais: Paris’ Museum of Fine Arts with collection from the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Champs-Élysées news

from the 2018-07-14 until the 2019-02-25

Magical Unicorns

Exhibition at Musee de Cluny Paris

The unicorn has changed in form in subtle ways over the centuries. Different artists and writers come up with different aspects of the look and mythology of these creatures. After all, as much as we may wish that unicorns were real, there isn’t much to base these images on. We have the body of a horse, the tusk of a narwhal and any other physical feature that artists want to add. One thing that rarely changes across different eras and art forms is the idea that the unicorn is white. There is an interesting continuity of the symbolism of the white, pure innocent beast.

Magical Unicorns at Musee de Cluny explores this idea by looking at different images of the unicorn in historical work. Visitors can examine the painting and tapestries to see those differences in the form of the animal, but also the way that innocence and purity play into the scene. It is a fascinating approach and one that visitors can enjoy until February 25th.